Here is the first chapter of the day - yes, I know I said yesterday that there would only be one today... but really I need to post chapter 17 today as well because they go together. So this chapter begins the fight training - I'm not sure I've really caught it how I wanted to but it was the best I could do. Enjoy!
Chapter 16.
The family was congregated on a large open space not far from where Bella and Jasper had been the day before. They were sitting in their pairs as Bella and Jasper walked up; again feeling the weight of their stares as they got closer. Control of the session was naturally passed to Jasper and he stood before them all as Bella took a seat next to Rosalie. "Okay, we're here to give Bella some training on how to fight." He sent a small smile her way. "I've given this some thought…"
"I'll bet you have,,," Emmett said; laughing outright at him until Rosalie hit him hard on the back of the head, "Hey! I just said what you were all thinking." This time Bella hit him and he wisely chose to keep quiet after that.
"As I was saying, I've thought about how to do this and I thought you could all be involved in helping Bella learn. I think the easiest way to do this would be for you each to take turns against Bella while I offer her instruction; it'll be a refresher for all of you too. I thought we could start with defensive maneuvers. Bella, if you could come and stand by me?" Bella got to her feet and walked so she was next to Jasper. He turned to face her, speaking quietly so only she heard him. "I thought you could face Carlisle first. Is that okay with you?" She looked over his shoulder and met the eyes of her father who was staring at them both with interest; a faint smile on his face. "I thought it'd be easier for you to start off against him; Emmett's just too big for your first fight and I thought you might find it easier to imagine dad as an attacker rather than Rose or mum."
"Okay. You're going to help me though, right?" She looked at him; worry written across her face without him having to probe how she felt.
He could tell she was worried and he tried to reassure her. "I won't let you get hurt, baby. None of them want to hurt you either. You just need to remember you're stronger than any of them at the moment anyway." He took her hand in his and then turned to face the rest of the family. "Dad, could you come up here?"
Carlisle looked at his son and then at his daughter. Both of them smiled at him and he got to his feet and walked over to where they stood. "What do you want me to do, Jasper?"
"Maybe a standard attack? Can we do it at slow speed for the first few times and I'll talk Bella through what she needs to do in order to defend herself; then we can try a bit faster until we get to full speed. We'll end with you trying some different approaches and see how Bella handles them without any help from me." Bella looked at him quickly, a scared expression on her face which faded when he squeezed her hand gently.
"Okay." Carlisle turned to face Bella and pulled her into a hug. "I'll be gentle with you, okay?" She hugged him a little tighter and then he walked further away, standing behind her and waited for the signal from his son.
"Okay, Bella, there's one thing you need to remember; your first option from any attack should be to get away from it; if you can, you should avoid it; especially at the moment because you're a lot faster than most vampires because you're a newborn. However there'll be times when you can't avoid the situation and while fighting them is important, a lot of what you need to know is how to defend yourself from an opponent; especially one who is bigger than you or stronger." He paused to let her absorb what he'd just told her and then continued, "Bella, Carlisle is going to come up behind you and he'll grab you by the shoulders. I want you to do what comes naturally to you and we'll see how much help you need." He watched as she took a deep breath and he sent a wave of confidence which made her smile slightly. When she was ready he took a few steps back and nodded slightly to his father.
There was silence as Carlisle approached the young vampire; all of the family watching with interest. He was moving much slower than they would be in a normal fight as per Jasper's instructions; even slow by human standard and once his hands landed on Bella's shoulders she turned and shoved him away from her. Jasper smiled, proud of his girl as he saw her take a step back from their father. He walked back to them and Bella looked at him; obviously wanting him to say something about what she'd done. "That was good, Bella. However, it won't always be as simple as Carlisle made it, so I can show you some other things you can try." He stepped towards Carlisle and then turned to face Bella; so they were standing as she'd been just seconds earlier. "If you'd like to try the same thing with me this time, dad?" he said, maintaining eye contact with Bella. Again Carlisle approached and when his hands settled on Jasper's shoulders, Jasper ducked and moved out of his arms; using his body weight to push him in the stomach so he flew through the air and fell to the ground. He smiled at his father as he walked over and helped him stand again on his feet.
"I could never do that. He's much bigger than me." Bella said once Jasper was back with her.
"You can. You're stronger than he is, remember that. Even when you're no longer a newborn you can still use the same techniques; the key thing is to try and catch your opponent by surprise. If you have that on your side, it's much easier to overpower your opponent. Would you like to try again?" She nodded and they repeated the exercise again; this time Bella managed to get away as Jasper had and she did shove Carlisle but he didn't fly through the air in the same way he'd done a minute before. Jasper saw that she looked disappointed and he hugged her. "Give it another go." He whispered to her.
They tried several more times and although Bella was struggling with it and didn't always have the finesse of the seasoned vampire who was teaching her, she did gradually get the hang of it. After about an hour Jasper gave Carlisle the go-ahead to try an attack at full vampire speed and this time Bella was much more successful; although the impact was marred slightly by her tripping over her own feet at the end. It appeared her humanity hadn't completely disappeared since becoming a vampire.
Carlisle then made a couple of different attacks on her; this time there was no instruction from Jasper and he was given free rein to try anything. Bella handled each one with ease and Jasper could feel her confidence increasing as the minutes passed.
Rosalie got to her feet, "Can I try?" she said as Carlisle got to his feet one more time. Jasper nodded and Carlisle seemed relieved to be able to walk back to his wife and sit down next to her. Rosalie walked over and stood in front of Bella, looking at her brother with a small smile on her face. "What would you like me to do, Jazz?"
Jasper looked at his sister and thought about what she'd asked. "How about an attack from the front?" he said; winking at her as her smile grew.
"Great." She said.
Again there was more technique shared with Bella about defending from punches and kicks. Bella was a good student and she soon picked up everything they told and showed her; adding her own twists to some of it which made Jasper smile at her fondly; even he was learning things. Jasper could see Bella was enjoying fighting with Rosalie and he let them both have a bit of freedom towards the end of the session.
He sat next to Esme as they all watched Rosalie and Bella spar with each other; smiles on both the girl's faces. He could see there was a closeness that'd never been there when Bella was human and Jasper was glad for it. Rosalie really was like a sister to him and he knew they shared a special bond which was different to any he had with the rest of his family. In some ways he was closer to her than he was with Alice and Edward; even the relationship he had with Esme wasn't the same. Rosalie seemed to understand him instinctively and she very rarely let him get away with his 'usual shit', always calling him out on it.
He wondered briefly if she'd told Bella about the time he'd slipped when they lived just outside of Quebec; that had been a particularly bad time and Rosalie had been with him when it happened; had witnessed one of the lowest points of his time with the Cullen family. In all his years since he chose this life; that had been one of the worst he'd ever been through. It hadn't been that long after he joined them either; less than a decade and looking back at it now it still filled him with pain to think about it; even after all this time; he knew since then he'd tried much harder to control his bloodlust. Although that wasn't his only slip; there had been the one in Alaska, one when they'd lived in New York State and another in Maine. He suspected the one in Maine was what Rosalie had told her about because that was one that affected him pretty badly; it was his first slip since joining the family and he knew she'd told her about the first time someone saw his scars in the family so that story was bound to come up then. He felt a wave of shame run through him as he realized the number of times his lack of control had been the reason for the family moving; although he'd actually only slipped four times there'd been many close calls which still resulted in them needing to move; in fact he was the reason they'd moved to Forks. At that time they'd never suspected what a huge impact moving there would have on the family and maybe if they had, they wouldn't have gone there. Jasper's struggles had been bad enough without adding further to it. He hadn't been doing too badly, considering; of course as soon as Bella was admitted into the family it had become more difficult for him again.
"Are you okay, Jasper?" Esme said; nudging his shoulder with hers. "I can feel what you're feeling from here." She added.
He pulled back his emotions quickly; having not realized he was emoting as much as he apparently was. "I was just thinking."
"Anything I can help with?"
"Mainly about when we were in Quebec." He said; his eyes trained on Bella as he spoke; which seemed to help relieve the tension in his body a little.
"Why are you thinking about then?" He could hear the frown in her voice; her worry hitting him as she asked him to explain.
"I was thinking it might help ease her guilt if I told her about the times I've slipped. She's still feeling bad about what happened earlier today and I thought maybe if I told her about those times for me it would help her realize how well she actually did."
"You're right; it might help Bella. Your father and I want to talk to her when we get back to the house as well. We'd like it if you were there too." She said; a small smile on her face. She turned her attention back to the girls as they continued to fight. "You seem really happy, Jazz. I'm glad you realized you wanted to take that step with Bella; she's good for you."
"I'm glad I did too."
"You're good for her as well, you know. I can see the differences in the way she is with you to how she was with Edward." Jasper froze slightly and Esme knew he was expecting her to say something bad. She was silent for a second as she remembered her other son with fondness; thoughts of him and Alice being dead was still painful for her. "Don't worry; she seems much happier with you. It pains me to say it but I think Edward stifled her a little too much. He was too overprotective and I got the impression she'd placed him up on a pedestal. She isn't like that with you."
"Thanks mum." He said, somewhat sarcastically; although he lessened his words with the smile he flashed at her.
"I just mean she can see your flaws and she loves you despite them. With Edward, I think she thought he was perfect and we all know there were times when he wasn't. I think she thought she didn't deserve his love but with you, it's like you're equal to each other; it's a more level, balanced relationship. I think it will last longer than one with Edward would've done. Don't get me wrong; what Edward and Alice did for us was amazing and I love them both for it but they both had their faults; nobody is perfect."
"I really wish I'd got to know Bella more when she was still human. I think we would've got on with each other well but Alice and Edward never really seemed to allow us time together. It's almost like they kept us apart on purpose."
"Your father and I noticed that too; we were talking about it when we were driving up here. He thinks they were worried the two of you would see in each other what you're beginning to realize now."
You may be right. That was part of the reason I was so angry with myself when you first got here, because it was easy to be with Bella. In a lot of ways easier than when I was with Alice and that was painful for me to realize and admit."
"You shouldn't think like that. You should just think of now as a gift and always remember to appreciate Bella for the lovely person she is. I think your relationship will be one of the strongest in our world and I'm looking forward to seeing it grow." She hugged him quickly and then gracefully got to her feet and walked over to the two girls. "I think it's my turn now." She said to Rosalie as Jasper watched her go; a look of wonder on his face as he contemplated what she'd just said.
Bella frowned as her mother took her sister's place. "I can't hit you, Esme." She whispered.
"Of course you can. You won't hurt me, Bella."
Bella looked towards Jasper; a look of despair on her face as she seemed to be pleading for him to intervene. He pushed himself to his feet and walked towards her; pulling her away from the rest of the family so he could talk to her privately. "Bella, not everyone you'll be forced to fight will resemble Carlisle or Emmett; there will be many times when you'll come across someone just like Esme where the last thing you'd want to do would be to fight them but you have to remember that they won't hesitate to fight you and you need to be able to get past that fact and be ready to fight them back."
"But I could really hurt her and I don't want to do that."
"I know, baby. Please darlin', Esme wants to do this. She wants to be able to help you with this and there's a lot you can learn from her too. I've seen her fight before and she has a grace that's different to everyone else." She still looked worried and he pulled her into a hug; squeezing her body in his arms as his mouth kissed her neck. He felt her relax against him; her body molding itself to his with ease and he smiled against her skin. He hadn't even had to use his gift to get her to relax. "Can you fight her?" he whispered. She nodded against his shoulder and after a minute more he released his hold on her and pushed her back towards their mother. He moved away from them; there would be little need for instruction in this fight as Bella had all the knowledge she needed to face her. He sat next to Rosalie and met her smile with one of his own before both turning to watch them spar with each other. It was a sight he found satisfying; they both had a lot of grace; even Bella who was more renowned for being a klutz. For a long time neither of them seemed to be making an impact on the other but gradually Jasper realized Bella was edging closer to Esme; she was, probably without even realizing it, distracting their mother enough to soon be able to make the 'fatal' attack. He almost smiled as he saw this knowledge filter onto her face; feeling her confidence grow. Less than a minute later, Bella placed the final blow; kissing her mother on the neck and smiling as she realized she'd won in a truly fair fight.
She bounced over to stand in front of Jasper and smiled down at him; obviously delighted; an emotion Jasper was beginning to share. "I did it!"
"You sure did, baby." He smiled at her as she collapsed on his lap; wrapping her arms around his neck, "I'm so proud of you, angel." She stared into his eyes and he could feel her emotions dancing from one to another as he tried to take them all in. The most prominent and easy to read was the pride she felt in what she'd just done; there was also some confidence still flowing through her from the fight. Love for each member of the family was also fairly high on the scale. The emotions that really caught his attention though were the more hidden ones of desire and lust. Bella was hot and bothered by what she'd just done and he could tell they were emotions wholly aimed at him; which in turn made him feel the same and so much more. "I think that's it for the night, guys. Why don't we catch up with you later?" he said quietly as he stared into Bella's eyes; almost hypnotized by the desire he could now see there.
"Oh God," Emmett groaned. "Really? Again?" He scrambled to his feet and pulled Rosalie up next to him; eager to get away from what he had already guessed was about to happen. "Don't think I've forgotten I never got my chance with you, Bells. Next time, you're mine." He promised her before they ran back to the house.
"We'd like to talk to you both later." Carlisle said softly as he and Esme got to their feet too. Bella turned her head and looked at her father; he held her eyes as she looked at him in silent question. "It's nothing to get worried about. We'll see you when you both get back."
"We'll be there, dad." Jasper said. They were alone before his words had completely faded. "You were stunning tonight, darling'." He pulled her forward on his lap; kissing the tip of her nose; his body responding in the only way it seemed to know as she brushed against his groin.
"I can feel just how much you enjoyed it and I'm not even empathic," her face held a smirk that grew with each word.
"Oh, I enjoyed every second of it, very much." His voice had dropped an octave and had a certain husky tone to it. "Shall I show you how much," he growled.
"Yes." She murmured. He moved quickly; even for a vampire; smoothly stripping the clothes quickly but carefully from her body. He pulled off his own shirt but just unzipped his pants and pulled his length from inside. Eagerly he pushed into her and they both groaned at the contact. They both began the age old dance of lovers; their speed increasing but never rushing. Bella closed her eyes as he kissed her shoulder and neck; his teeth sometimes grazing her once fragile skin. As he sucked on her skin in the vain hope he would mark her she whispered his name; thrusting her hips against his in an effort to edge him deeper. His hands brushed up her arms to her shoulders and he gripped them slightly and leant her back so he could move his mouth lower to her breasts; taking one nipple into his mouth. Again his teeth grazed her skin and her body shook against him; her arousal was pretty high before this had even started but as he moved to her other breast she couldn't hold back any more. She cried out his name over and over as she felt her body tighten and spasm. Her body was still quivering and the feelings were only slightly fading as he continued to thrust into her; she knew she'd come again before this was done; at least once. His lips were still kissing her breast and Bella brushed her fingers through his hair and gently pulled him away from her; lifting his head so she was looking at him. She stared at his face; seeing the onyx black orbs staring back at her momentarily before closing; the passion and desire she could see in them also written all over his face and she smiled at him briefly before whispering, "Let go, baby. Come inside me and show me how much you enjoyed it." She didn't miss the desperation that swept over his face with her words; she could see the struggle and wondered what was happening. She watched him frown as his eyes closed tighter and he gave in to what he was feeling; his head falling back and his cock throbbing within her; his venom shooting into the depths of her body as he roared her name into the dusk sky. Bella heard the passion in his voice; saw it wash across his features and she knew she'd never loved anyone the way she did him.
As his high faded Jasper could feel different emotions welling within him and he could feel his carefully placed defenses shatter; his body being hit by the barrage of what he didn't want to face. He was projecting his emotions to her now; and Bella could feel that despite his release just seconds earlier he was emitting agony and pain to her. She wrapped her arms around his now shaking body and hugged him against her; wanting to comfort him through whatever was bothering him. This was the first time she'd really seen him show his emotions like this; even just after Edward and Alice died he'd never been this open with how he was feeling; he just projected a fraction of his emotions to those around him; always holding the strongest ones back.
"I don't want to lose you, Bella." He whispered darkly. "Watching you fight made me realize that may be a possibility. I don't think I can take losing you as well."
"I've no intention of going anywhere without a fight, baby. Wouldn't you rather I could protect myself from an attack from others than have to rely on other people?"
"You know I do."
"Then why has this upset you so much? I want to understand."
He was silent for a minute as he tried to work out how he could convey to her what he was feeling; how he could put it into words. "I guess it seems more real now." That small sentence didn't even really cover it but it was as much as he could say; even though it didn't really make sense and seemed so insignificant in comparison to how he'd just reacted. He could see she didn't really understand and he wasn't sure he was going to be able to put it into words adequately.
"We'll be okay; we'll get through this." She whispered.
Her faith in him; in them; shouldn't have surprised him but it did and he hugged her closer again and kissing her passionately; peppering kisses over her face; his hands cupping her head as he tried to put into actions what he couldn't communicate in words. He wanted and needed her to understand what he was feeling; he wanted to share himself completely with her; he was tired of hiding himself from everyone. He'd been doing that for most of his life; from all the family; even from Peter and Charlotte to a certain extent although they certainly knew him better than the rest. "Thank you." He whispered to her; wondering if she understood just what it was he was thanking her for. She looked into his eyes and smiled at him; Jasper thought he saw an understanding on her face.
TBC
A/N: So there it is. Let me know what you think. Next chapter soon and I'll respond to the reviews I've got to (thought you'd appreciate the new chapter first!).